Boston Visit

Em and I went to Boston last week, for her spring break. It was the first time we'd taken separate vacations. Matthew went to CHicago -- he's done that before, a couple of years ago when we went to Boston. However this time Alan didn't come with us. ALan has a new job, with only 2 weeks vacation the first year. He didn't want to spend one of those two going to Boston in the spring..... and to be fair, it actually WAS spring here, whereas in Boston.... it was still mud season. But we didn't go there for the weather.

We went to see friends and my mom, and it was great! The new thing for me was my promise to myself not to do too much. Since we lived there for so many years there are a lot of people we really want to see, but we can't always make it work -- and I used to make myself crazy trying. Well no more making myself crazy, no more trying to ve superwoman.

There were some important people it felt a bit strange not to see -- but I have seen 2 of them not too long ago, here... and we did get to see a lot of important friends, including Mary and Mustafa, who I really wanted to see this time because they are probably moving out of the country this summer. One new thing for me was, this was my first visit to the area since we left that I haven't gone to my HOUSE. This was only possible because we now have a property manager, who seems to be a real human being. (whew!) I had meant to stop by anyhow, though -- and meet at least one tenant, and the prop. manager himself. I had to cut my plans down, though......

I brought our bikes, and rode mine 4 times, I think -- EM only rode once. I had one good 30 mile ride, one ride to the clinic and back to Belmont in the rain -- which wasn't the workout it should have been, because when it rains I slow down for safety, especially when biking in traffic.

The other thing is, Em's tics have been getting worse lately...... she has this abdominal tic which makes her nauseous, so sometimes she doesn't eat much. That's not really a good idea for a growing almost 12 yr old -- so we got in to see the doctor this past Tuesday. He prescribed a couple of medications (klonipin, short term, and topamax for the long run.) I started her on them right away, but never gave a 2nd dose of either drug.

She got dizzy in school and melted down at home......... I was all set to cut the klonipin and keep her on teh topamax (the doc had said that klonipin would work immediately, but topamax would take awhile.) HOwever -- ALan found some info on topamax and porphyria, a family illness that she hadn't yet been tested for. I was hoping the doc would have her get tested for it -- but intead he just prescribed a different med. (Resperidol? Rispedol? It seems to have several spellings.....) We are looking into it before we give her any......


And now -- I'm wiped out, going to bed! (33 miles biked today. Maybe that's why?)